On (to) Wisconsin

I've been seriously negligent towards this blog so far this football season.

When will I, or anyone else for that matter, stop doubting Dantonio or MSU before a big game?

In fairness, nobody knew quite what to expect from the Spartans after the completely "meh" Furman game, but as I wrote in my last post, Dantonio likes it that way. Why would MSU want to go all out against Furman when they don't have to, and show its hand to Notre Dame?

So the Spartans went out and steamrolled the Irish for three quarters, before letting up a bit on the gas pedal and making the game somewhat close. However, when the Spartans absolutely needed to make plays to seal the victory, they did so.

Of course, we still don't know exactly how good Notre Dame is. But the fact remains: any time a team plays and defeats the Irish in a night game under the outstretched arms of Touchdown Jesus, it is a big win.

In a little over an hour from now, MSU opens up Big Ten play against Wisconsin, another team that is difficult to get a read on. On one hand, the Badgers beat LSU, on the other hand they struggled a bit with Georgia State last week--and the Badgers start a redshirt freshman quarterback today.

If this game goes according to almost every other Michigan State/ Wisconsin game, it'll be decided by less that ten points either way.

I'll go ahead and pick the Spartans to win, 24-17.

Michigan State 69, Wisconsin 57

With about under a minute left in the game tonight at Breslin, I turned to my brother-in-law Michael and yelled, since it was pretty loud in the arena, "Wisconsin is the single most annoying [basketball] team in the Big Ten." The Badgers have a knack for getting away with a lot of, shall we say, aggressive play in the paint, getting plenty of calls in their favor, and simply being pesky.

But enough about me griping about Wisconsin, the Spartans put forth perhaps their best defensive effort of the season tonight--or at least the best one I've seen in awhile. (It's easy to let hyperbole get the best of you in the immediate aftermath of a big win). MSU, and in particular Deyonta Davis, shut down Nigel Hayes and they also contained Bronson Koenig, Koenig only had one three-pointer through most of the game, until late when the Spartans' D may have gotten a little lax and Koenig knocked down a few when the Spartans had already essentially clinched the win.

As far as I'm concerned, and granted I view the world through green glasses, Denzel Valentine is national player of the year. He has become a great shooter, and incredible passer and assist machine, gritty defender, and has the ability to drive the lane when the opportunity arises. But beyond that, Valentine is a great leader and makes every player on the floor better when he's out there (and even when he's not). I feel quite comfortable in placing Valentine in the pantheon of great Spartan basketball players/floor generals, a list that includes Earvin "Magic" Johnson, Scott Skiles, Steve Smith, Mateen Cleaves, and Draymond Green,

Shout outs also to Eron Harris (possibly his best game of the season), Bryn Forbes (his great shooting continues), Matt Costello (making a case for a shot in the NBA), and Matt McQuaid (didn't do anything on offense tonight, but has turned in to an excellent defender).

Well, my computer is about to die, and I need to try and get some sleep. Go Green!

Playing with house money

It was the most satisfying basketball victory of the season...at least so far.

MSU's 62-58 comeback win over Maryland reminded this fan of the great Tom Izzo-coached teams of the past. The game that immediately came to mind was the 1999 Elite Eight win over heavily favored Kentucky. The Spartans overcame a 17-4 deficit, fought and clawed back, and beat the Wildcats 73-66.  Against the Terrapins yesterday, the Spartans overcame deficits of 12-1 and 23-7 to come back, repeatedly punch Maryland in the mouth, and render the Terps wounded and defeated. It was a script followed by many great Izzo teams in the past.

There was a resilience and resolve in yesterday's performance that I've rarely seen this season. It's a testament to the greatness of Tom Izzo and his uncanny ability to mold and shape a basketball team through the course of a season.

As a fan who has endured more nailbiting close games than I can even count this season, I decided to simply turn off my emotions as much as possible yesterday and simply let the game unfold. It made for a less harrowing experience.

Now the Spartans are playing with house money. I don't expect MSU to beat Wisconsin in today's tournament championship, but neither would I be shocked if it happened. As we've come to expect, Izzo has the team playing its best basketball when it matters most and almost anything seems possible.

Beating Wisconsin will be a tall order, as they are clearly the class of the Big Ten. Frank Kaminsky should be national player of the year. The guy can beat you in so many ways: great post player with nimble moves who can also shoot from the perimeter. The Badgers also have a great supporting cast in Koenig, Dekker, Hayes, and Gasser.

Still, I love how MSU is coming around in March. They may not have enough to knock off Wisconsin, but the game should certainly be interesting.

Catching up with Spartan (and Big Ten) football

I've been unintentionally silent for the last week. Since I last wrote in here, a lot has happened in the Big Ten.

 

Ohio State parlayed its 59-0 blowout of Wisconsin in the Big Ten Championship Game into a spot in the four team national championship playoff. The Buckeyes will play Alabama and, in this case, I'd love for the Big Ten to knock the SEC down a few pegs, so I'll be rooting for the Bucks.

 

Gary Andersen is out as Wisconsin coach and it's hard to make any sense of it. Was the fallout from the Ohio State shellacking so embarrassing that perhaps the Godfather (aka Barry Alvarez) gave Andersen an "offer he couldn't refuse"? Or was it simply that Andersen was homesick for the west coast? I don't know if the truth will ever be known.

 

Last, but certainly not least, the Spartans take on the jilted Baylor Bears in the (corporate name) Cotton Bowl. I have no idea what to expect from Baylor, a team that can certainly light up the scoreboard. Will Baylor come out angry about being left out of the playoff and take out its anger on MSU? Or will Baylor be flat and disinterested?

 

These are the same questions I asked four years ago when MSU was about to tangle with Alabama in the Capitol One Bowl. In a game that I have tried hard to forget ever took place, the Tide rolled all over the Spartans, 49-7...and it could have been worse. All questions about whether Alabama would be motivated were emphatically answered.

 

The 2014 MSU team is more talented and has more big game experience than the 2010 team, so I'd be shocked if there was a repeat of the Alabama massacre, but the Spartans should go into this game expecting a focused and hungry Baylor team--one that is determined to prove it belonged in the playoff.

Big Ten Championship Game musings

I'm watching Ohio State absolutely demolish Wisconsin in the Big Ten Championship Game. The score is currently 45-0 with no end to Ohio State's scoring anywhere in sight.

 

I have to hand it to Urban Meyer. The guy has an offensive system that seemingly allows him to plug almost anyone in at quarterback and not miss a beat. Cardale Jones is carving up the hapless Badgers as if he's been starting all season.

 

But it's not just offense in which the Buckeyes have been dominant. They have rendered Wisconsin's offense one dimensional. Ohio State is stuffing Melvin Gordon and daring Joel Stave to throw, and Stave hasn't been able to do anything through the air.

 

The game is so bad that the Fox broadcast crew is trying hard to convince viewers that, in fact, the Badgers aren't nearly as bad as they look tonight.

 

I'm beginning to believe Urban Meyer could plug ME in at quarterback and go at least 8-4.

 

***

 

Ohio State completes a 59-0 destruction of Wisconsin, and makes a strong case for the four team national championship playoff.

Elite Eight (and beyond)

Earlier in this blog, I know I criticized Bo Ryan. I can't remember the specific posts, but it's easy enough to find them.

 

I'm going on the record right now to say I've changed my tune, and I'm truly happy that he and his Wisconsin Badgers team have earned a spot in the Final Four. Bo Ryan is undeniably a great coach who seems considerably more humble now than he was when he first arrived in Madison. He has paid and his dues and deserves to finally win the big one.

 

MSU beat Virginia last night in a bare knuckled fistfight of a game. It wasn't always pretty to watch--who's kidding who, it was downright ugly--but the Spartans made big plays down the stretch and closed out the game in a fashion that tested the heart health of anyone watching.

 

The worst part of the 10:15 start time was that I knew, no matter the outcome, I'd be so wired after the game that I wouldn't be able to sleep until at least 2 AM, and that's precisely what happened. Adrenaline-induced insomnia set in and I found it impossible to calm down. At least it was a Friday night.

 

MSU takes on UConn for a spot in the Final Four. Quite frankly, MSU has been through too much to lose this game. Now, I don't want to get too far ahead of myself because UConn has been playing well and Shabazz Napier is a hell of a player, but I just don't see the Huskies beating the Spartans.

A glorious weekend in Indianapolis

It was as if all the frustrations of an often disappointing regular season completely fell to the wayside in one glorious weekend.
 

Quite simply, these were the best three games the Michigan State basketball team had played all season.
 

On Friday night, the Spartans thoroughly dominated an undermanned Northwestern. Saturday, MSU played an almost flawless first half against Wisconsin. Despite a furious comeback attempt by the Badgers, MSU hung on to win by eight points.
 

And then there was yesterday's 69-55 Big Ten tournament championship victory over Michigan. The Spartans brought more hunger and passion than I'd seen from them all season, and showed everyone exactly what this team is capable of accomplishing when all the pieces are together and in sync.
 

It all bodes well for a potentially memorable NCAA tournament run.

 

Wisconsin thoughts

We're moments away from tip-off of the Wisconsin basketball game at the Kohl Center in Madison and Keith Appling is out of the lineup. Will this team ever be at full strength?

 

Even without Appling, the Spartans are a better and more talented team than the Badgers. That doesn't necessarily translate into a victory, particularly on the road against a potentially desperate team.

 

Okay, the game has tipped off. Go Green!

---

We're at the first media timeout and the score is deadlocked at 14.

 

I don't know that I've mentioned how much I like Alvin Ellis III. He's developing into a very good player.

---

Badgers up 25-22 and the Spartans can't hit the broad side of a barn.

---

Wisconsin 60, Spartans 58

 

Well, that was not the desired result. I'm sitting here nursing a Samuel Adams Harvest Pumpkin Ale and contemplating the game and typing this entry from my phone, since I don't have a computer nearby.

 

Considering how poorly the Spartans shot the ball, and the bummer of no Appling, it's astounding that MSU only lost by two points.

 

I still remain convinced that if this team ever gets fully healthy, they are national title contenders.

Spartans 2, Land of Lincoln 0

The Payneless Spartans keep rolling along.

This week, they beat Northwestern in a practically unwatchable game in Evanston. In a contest that featured enough bricks to construct a new building on Northwestern's campus, the Spartans prevailed 54-40. Last night, in a game that wasn't nearly as hard on the eyes, the Spartans pounded the reeling Illinois Fighting Illini, 78-62. In true testament to how well MSU played, yours truly hurled nary one F-bomb throughout the entire game. Maybe only one or two "shits" was uttered in total.

As Graham Couch correctly pointed out in today's Lansing State Journal--as if you need an amateur blogger like me to affirm the insight and wisdom of a professional sportswriter--having Payne out of the lineup may actually be, in a strange way, a blessing in disguise for Michigan State. It has forced other players (namely Matt Costello, Branden Dawson, Alex Gauna, and Gavin Schilling) to both get more playing time and step up their play to make up for Payne's absence. In the long run, it may have the same impact as the 1999-2000 season, when Mateen Cleaves missed the entire non-conference schedule. In the NCAA championship game against Florida, when Cleaves was temporarily knocked out of the game after the infamous Teddy Dupay incident, the Spartans didn't panic and didn't miss a beat. Their poise was a direct result of to not having Cleaves for so long earlier in the season.

Eventually, MSU will get Payne back in the rotation, but the time he has been out may have helped make this team stronger.

In other Big Ten hoops news, Michigan dominated Wisconsin at the Kohl Center. The Wolverines thoroughly outplayed the Badgers throughout most of the game and were able to withstand a furious comeback attempt late in the game. Suddenly, Michigan looks like a player in the Big Ten championship race even without Mitch McGary. Michigan's match-up against Iowa has taken on new meaning, as has the impending showdown with MSU next weekend.

To my loyal one or two readers, look out for my Spartan football wrap up. I'm sure you're dying to read it. I hope to finally post it soon--at least before the 2014 football season begins.

Until then, stay Green my friends.

Michigan State versus Wisconsin, and to root for UM or not to root for UM, that is the question

I went to the MSU/Wisconsin basketball game on Thursday night and, though watching the Badgers' "style" of basketball--and I use the term basketball loosely when describing the way Wisconsin drags the game back to the peach basket era--I enjoyed myself. There is nothing like experiencing college basketball in a live setting, particularly at Breslin. Though the students are currently on spring break, the "alumni Izzone" brought the noise and it was a great atmosphere (even if nothing compared to the frenzy of the Michigan game--nothing could top that).

I was pleased with Spartans' performance on Thursday night. Keith Appling, as I expected, broke out of his funk and the whole team really put it together. Adreian Payne had one of his best games of the year. Travis Trice was outstanding, Denzel Valentine made some outstanding passes, and the Spartans got it done. Conversely, the Badgers looked horrible. I don't know how much of that was due to MSU's defense, or the aftershock of Purdue pummeling the Badgers at Kohl Center last week. Wisconsin couldn't hit the broad side of a barn and seemed to pass the ball the guys in green-and-white more often than the players in red. Oh, and a note to Bo Ryan: you may want to recruit better athletes. As well as Wisconsin players adapt to Bo's system and execute it well, at some point the team's lack of athleticism is exposed by better opponents.

After struggling against Bo Ryan when Bo first entered the conference, Tom Izzo's teams have now won five straight over Wisconsin. Maybe that is due to MSU simply having better teams than Bo, but at least some of it might be a case of Tom figuring out how to play against Bo's ugly style of hoops. The keys seem to be a) patience on the defensive end, knowing that Wisconsin likes to use the entire shot clock and b) disrupting passing lanes and being active with your hands to force turnovers thereby helping to create fast break opportunities. The one thing Wisconsin doesn't like to do is run. (One of the most interesting stats from the game was 15 fast break points for Michigan State and--unsurprisingly-zero for Wisconsin).

It occurs to me that I never intended this blog to be a platform for me to wow anyone with my x's and o's expertise, since I don't have an illusions of being a sports expert. So if anyone out there with any real basketball knowledge is reading this and things I'm full of crap, please don't hesitate to let me know.

***

On the Lansing-area sports talk shows this past week, one of the major topics of discussion was whether or not MSU fans should root for Michigan to beat Indiana on Sunday. A Wolverine win over the Hoosiers would guarantee the Spartans a share of the Big Ten title, though that means Michigan would ALSO be a co-champion. The way I see it, I root for Michigan State first and foremost and try not to concern myself with what Michigan does. How can any self-respecting MSU fan NOT want the Spartans to win another banner to hang from the rafters at Breslin? It's not a matter of "rooting for Michigan" but "rooting against Indiana."

(I'm being summoned for domestic duty, so I shall try and finish this later).

Another crazy week in the Big Ten

Rico Beard had a funny line on today's "The Drive With Jack Ebling": "The Big Ten title is like a piece of pizza in a room full of polite guys." (Since I didn't have time to write it down, I'm paraphrasing to the best of my recollection). That perfectly describes the way the top teams have been playing down the stretch. As either Jack or Rico said (I can't remember), it's not as if these teams don't want to win the title, they just don't seem to know how.

As an aside, Jack Ebling's new drive-time radio show, on WVFN 730 AM in the Lansing area from 3-6 PM, is quite good. It's much better than The Huge Show, which it replaced this week. (If you're wondering, I was not paid for that endorsement!).

I'm coming to you from my Nook, so I apologize in advance for any typos and if this ends up looking like one giant paragraph. It's been a crazy week in Big Ten basketball. First, Michigan dials it in during the last few minutes in State College and loses to the hapless Nittany Lions. Unfortunately, this probably led Michigan into desperation mode and led to the Wolverines' defeat of MSU last Sunday. Wisconsin, a team that seemed to be on a role, stumbles mightily to Purdue IN MADISON! (I just hope this doesn 't put the Badgers in desperation mode tonight against the Spartans). To top off the week of stunning Big Ten developments, Indiana loses to Ohio State in Bloomington on the Hoosiers' Senior Night in front of a partisan IU crowd poised to celebrate an outright conference title. Aaron Craft had a tremendous game and the Hoosiers looked like they were suffering from a bout of stage fright. I don't think I'd seen IU look so tentative all year.

As someone who had all but handed Victor Oladipo the Big Ten Player of the Year award, I am now having second thoughts. As difficult as it is to give credit to a Michigan player, Trey Burke has carried the Wolverines in their last few games, and made huge plays down the stretch against Michigan State and Purdue to seal victories for Michigan. I echo the thoughts of others when I say the award may come down to the showdown between Indiana and Michigan at Crisler. If Michigan wins and Trey Burke has a good-to-great game, he's the POY. Same deal with Oladipo.

Now to the Spartans. They're in a little rut, though it's not as if the three teams they've lost to are chopped liver. I expect Keith Appling to get out of his funk tonight and have a good game against Wisconsin, and for the Spartans to slough out another ugly low-scoring win over the Badgers. Wisconsin may be desperate, but I think MSU will be both inspired and ornery.

MSU/Wisconsin replay on Big Ten Network

I'm taking a break from the Detroit Tigers game and watching the Big Ten Network's replay of the MSU/Wisconsin game.

Something I forgot to mention in my previous post is that the Spartans' wide receivers have quietly improved, with Keith Mumphery and Tony Lippett in particular having some huge catches in the game-tying drive.

William Gholston had a good game and what a great hit on Montee Ball in the first play of overtime. Wisconsin's offense became anemic when Stave left the game.

Great catch by Bennie Fowler to win the game. After the rough year he has had, he deserved it.

Now I am enjoying watching the befuddled look on Bret Bielema's face after the Spartans won the game in overtime, similar to the look he had after the Rocket game last year. Also amusing are the shocked and dazed looks on the Wisconsin fans' faces.

Now I have switched back to the Tiger game to see that Buster "Peach Fuzz" Posey hit a home run to give the Giants a 3-2 lead. I need to remember the warm feeling of the MSU game to ward off possible depression from the Tigers woeful World Series performance.

Spartan stunner (Michigan State 16, Wisconsin 13)

It's about time the stars aligned in Michigan State's favor, and they did yesterday in Madison. It was an unexpected victory, and an ugly victory (have there been any other kind victories for MSU this season?), but a great victory all the same. It just may have been a season-salvaging victory.

After a litany of three-and-outs, the Spartans saved their best offensive drive of the season for when it mattered the most. it was a masterful 12 play, 75 yard touchdown drive that began with 6:06 left in the game and lasted 4:58. The Spartans tied the game and then won in overtime.

What's particularly mind-boggling about this game-tying possession is how inept the Spartans had been on their previous five possessions of the first half, in which they ran a grand total of 17 plays for 56 yards.  But maybe, just maybe, finally making big plays to win a game is the confidence builder this team needs going forward as they face Nebraska, Northwestern, and Minnesota to close the regular season.

Once again, the Spartans' defense was outstanding. They held Wisconsin to only 190 total yards and a minuscule 19 yards rushing. It's a safe bet that MSU's defense will keep them in ever game throughout the rest of the season.

***

Well, if I seemed like a downer in my last post, I apologize. I really didn't see this coming, but what a pleasant surprise.  After what the MSU football team has been through, they deserved it. I thought MSU could keep it a close game, as they have kept every game close this season, but I thought winning in Madison might be asking too much. I was trying to be a realist, not a pessimist. Who, besides perhaps the MSU players themselves, saw the defense dominating Wisconsin in this manner? What MSU fan predicted the offense finally doing just enough to get a victory in a hostile environment in which the Badgers had won 21 consecutive home games? The answer is probably not many.

***

The leaves are piling up in my yard, so I alternated between raking outside while listening to MSU announcers George Blaha and Jim Miller on the radio, to occasionally coming back inside to watch the game on television. I found that my relatively blase attitude toward the game was helpful, keeping me emotionally balanced through the entire afternoon. I'll have to see if this holds true next Saturday when the Spartans play Nebraska.

For now, I'll enjoy this unexpected MSU win over the Badgers. Outside of Michigan, there are few other teams I enjoy bearing more than Wisconsin.

Spartan football, Halloween, and a little Gladys Knight

Amazingly, I have taken the Michigan loss pretty much in stride. I didn't expect the Spartans to win going into the game, and they played better than I expected. It's really remarkable to think that it took a field goal on the last play of the game for Michigan to escape with a win.  The only down-side is that we as Spartan fans missed the pure enjoyment of watching the entire University of Michigan fan base spin out of control had the Wolverines missed that field goal and lost.  This could have been the most enjoyable week of schadenfreude in Michigan State history. Oh well, so it goes...

Call me a lunatic, but I don't think Michigan State is a bad team. They have been in every game this year and have lost three Big Ten games by a total of six points. The difference between winning and losing is slim, it often simply comes down to one or two plays. Unfortunately, MSU hasn't been able to execute the one or two plays that separate the winning team from the losing team. These were the plays that MSU  made in 2010 and 2011.

If I were to pinpoint the biggest disappointment for me thus far, beside the won-lost record, it's the lack of a go-to running back besides Le'Veon Bell. Bell is durable, tough, and dependable, but he doesn't have much speed. I thought that Nick Hill or Larry Caper could provide a little speed as well as a dependable complement to Bell, but that hasn't happened. Larry Caper has disappeared and I don't know know why, and Nick Hill hasn't brought much to the table this year.

***

Halloween is a nightmare for the Spartans.

In games played either on or less than a week before Halloween, Michigan State is 0-3 the last three seasons, and has lost five of the last six. I don't know if there is any significance to this statistic--probably not--but I find it interesting. Last year, I remember going out to a Halloween-themed store to look for a costume while MSU was playing like zombies against Nebraska. The year before, the Spartans went out to Iowa and I watched the final few minutes of a blowout loss to the Hawkeyes before heading out to a Halloween party.  In 2009, the Spartans lost a close game to Minnesota on Halloween night, when it appeared that the Gophers benefited from some home-cooking by the zebras.  One has to go back to 2008 for the last time MSU won a game the weekend before Halloween. The Spartans defeated Michigan, 35-21.

Unfortunately, the Spartans have to play in front of 80,000 plus red-clad Badger crazies in Madison, so realistically I don't see this trend changing today. (UPDATE: Wow, was I wrong!).

***

Between MSU's bummer of a football season and close losses to the likes of Notre Dame, Ohio State, Iowa, and Michigan; the Detroit Tigers' recent losses to San Francisco in the World Series; and the Detroit Lions' thus far lousy season, I feel emotionally spent this autumn. As a sports fan, I finally feel rather numb to defeat and I don't think I will be bothered by anything else bad, sports-wise, that happens the remainder of 2012. As Gladys Knight once sang, "You hurt me for the last time/Got no tears left to cry."

Yesterday was a beautiful day for Spartan fans

First of all, I apologize that I never added much more to my post-Ohio State basketball post of the previous week.  I'm sure you were all crushed that you didn't get my expert analysis.  I was too distraught to add much more, but it's certainly interesting how quickly the emotional tide can turn for sports fans. One week you're down in the dumps, the next week you're feeling optimistic. Which brings me to...how great was yesterday!? (Rhetorical question)

Saturday began with Michigan State basketball beating Wisconsin for the third time this season, and concluded with Michigan getting beaten like a rented mule by Ohio State.  Could it possibly have been better for Spartan fans?  Now Michigan fans can crawl back into their holes temporarily, though I'm sure they're just dying to crawl out again in the event that their (true) rival Michigan State loses to their (pretend) rival Ohio State.

This leads me to something that I've been mulling over in my head for quite some time.  Is the Michigan/Ohio State rivalry the most overrated in college sports?  I contend that it is.  Look, I'm willing to admit that in football, it's a fairly big deal, even though the Buckeyes have, for the most part, routinely pounded Michigan over the last decade.  But there is no denying that, between the 1930s and the early 2000s, there was generally a lot on the line when Michigan and Ohio State met on the gridiron.   But the fan hatred seems to be much more on the OSU side than the Michigan side, and the football rivalry seems more intense among the players than the fans (at least the Michigan fans).  Ohio State fans genuinely loathe the University of Michigan, at least as much as Michigan State fans do.  But it's always been my impression that Michigan fans pay lip service to the hatred, while privately saving their true vitriol for Michigan State (though I don't doubt that Michigan fans definitely do not like Ohio State).  Michigan fans don't want to give MSU the satisfaction of admitting that Sparty is truly their biggest rival--to do so would give MSU more importance than the smug Michigan fan is willing to publicly bestow.

The national media buys into this myth of Ohio State and Michigan as being the bitterest of bitter rivalries, but if they spent enough time living in the state of Michigan, they'd quickly understand that the level of bile spewed forth between MSU and UofM fans outstrips anything between OSU and UofM, at least from the State of Michigan side.  And besides football, there really is no rivalry to speak of between Michigan and Ohio State.  In any other sport, Michigan State is easily Michigan's biggest rival, whether Michigan fans are willing to admit it or not.

With Michigan State's success in basketball, and more recently, football--the hatred and venom between MSU and Michigan fans is beyond anything I've ever witnessed.  It's safe to say the Michigan fans are uncomfortable being in the position of the downtrodden, and they are lashing out in message boards and Facebook posts.  For example, I am a "fan" of The Huge Show (a Grand Rapids-based sports call-in show), and the host frequently posts on Facebook.  The pissing matches in these posts, between MSU and Michigan fans, is beyond anything I've ever witnessed before.  It's so bad that I've decided not to even bother posting anymore--it's just not fun.  The attacks get personal and I'm afraid that I could get some Michigan fan so angry that they might obtain my personal information and threaten me.  I'm not kidding.  I've decided to back off of these Facebook sports posts and stick to outlets like the Lansing State Journal or Red Cedar Message Board, where I am at least among like-minded folk.

Can't believe I'm saying this, "Thank you, Badgers!"...

...though it's not as if the Spartans needed their help that much, because I believe they should win at least one of their remaining two games, and with Ohio State free falling the way they are, it's hard to imagine the Spartans losing on senior day at Breslin Center.

Tom Izzo has his seventh Big Ten title in 17 seasons as MSU's head coach.  Quite an amazing feat. As I wrote to a friend on Facebook, we have gone from the most underachieving, frustrating team of the Izzo era last year to the most overachieving, hardworking team of the Izzo era this season.  It's been an incredible turnaround and has to rank as one of Izzo's best coaching jobs.  However, Tom Izzo would probably agree that a coach's job is much easier when he has players who work well together and want to work hard, and when said coach also has a senior leader like Draymond Green.

Speaking of Day-Day, he has now officially joined the pantheon of great Spartan basketball players.  That Mt. Rushmore of the MSU hardwood includes such luminaries as Earvin "Magic" Johnson, Gregory Kelser, Scott Skiles, Steve Smith, and Mateen Cleaves.  It will only be a matter of time (three years maximum?) before Draymond Green has his number hanging in the rafters of the Breslin Center.

While I'm on the subject of the pantheon of Spartan hardwood greats, what more does Tom Izzo need to do to further cement himself as the greatest coach in Michigan State athletics history?  Is there even a debate that he's the greatest we have ever seen in East Lansing, regardless of sport?  I suppose an argument could be made that Biggie Munn is the best, but Biggie was only football coach for seven seasons.  And as good as Duffy Daugherty was as football coach, he doesn't have the hardware that Izzo has, and his career took a precipitous slide after high water mark of 1966.  As I see it, Izzo is the best coach in MSU history.

Spartans batter the Badgers

Ho-hum, just another huge win for Spartan basketball last night in a thoroughly dominating performance against Wisconsin.  I feel as if I'm getting spoiled.

I just finished re-watching the game on ESPN3, affording me the opportunity to focus on the details of the game.  Here are some observations:

After a slow start, the Spartans went on a 14-0 run between the 9:23 mark of the first half to 4:27, when Jared Berggren of Wisconsin finally converted on a jumper to end the drought.  This is the best defense MSU basketball has had since at least the '08-'09 team, which I suppose isn't going back that far and just goes to show how consistently good Tom Izzo-coached teams have been defensively.

Branden Dawson is blossoming as a player before our eyes.  I noticed one Wisconsin possession in particular in which Dawson smothered Rob Wilson like a blanket.  Dawson also had a spectacular coast-to-coast bucket in the first half in which he cut through defenders like a Lamborghini weaving through freeway traffic.

Ever since he had a 90-minute heart-to-heart meeting in Tom Izzo's office, Brandon Wood has looked like a new player.  He's been doing the little things that help win games, like terrific passes to open shooters and hustle plays on defense.  Wood had a beautiful dish to Derrick Nix late in the first half which Nix converted into an easy bucket.

It was nice to see Brandan Kearney and Russell Byrd getting some minutes.  Kearney played especially well in his brief time on the floor.  This should bode well for future. (And as an aside, has MSU reached its quota of players named "Brandon"--or variations thereof?).

Although Adreian Payne didn't have an especially great game (perhaps coming down a bit after his great performance against OSU), Derrick Nix did, and displayed some great moves in the paint.  I love MSU's big men this season.

Keith Appling was brilliant and had one of his best games in at least a couple of weeks, and if Draymond Green isn't college basketball's best player, I'd like to know who is.

The best MSU sports week in recent memory...and it's only Thursday (and how I grew to hate the Wisconsin Badgers)

The week began with MSU's incredible victory over Georgia in the Outback Bowl.  The very next day, the Spartan basketball team almost matched the football team's flare for the dramatic by defeating Wisconsin on overtime, 63-60. And yesterday, the MSU women's basketball team beat arch-rival Michigan, 60-55.

Back to the MSU/Wisconsin game. Unless you've been living in a cave, or aren't an MSU sports fan, you know that it appeared Wisconsin had tied the game 63-63 with a last-second desperation three.  Watching the end of the game on TV, my immediate (enraged) thought was something along these lines, "Here we go again.  Stinkin' Badgers get lucky and pull a game out of their ass that they had no business winning.  When the hell are we ever going to beat those guys at their place?"  Fortunately, the final shot was close enough to the buzzer that the officiating crew reviewed it--and replays proved that the shot came after time had run out.  Final decision: the shot didn't count and the Spartans had indeed won at the Kohl Center for the first time since 2001. Wisconsin head coach Bo Ryan went ballistic upon hearing the bad news, and the sight of the "demonic used-car salesman" losing his mind was truly priceless.  If anyone needs an occasional dose of humility, it's that guy.

It's difficult to believe that there was once a time when I was, at best, indifferent towards the University of Wisconsin.  Back in the '70s, '80s, and '90s, Wisconsin's sports teams were mediocre at best, and often just plain terrible.  I even once owned a Wisconsin sweatshirt that I acquired when I traveled with my friend Dave to Milwaukee during Spring break 1987.  I recall a bad Badgers football team coming to Spartan Stadium in 1988, and just for the fun of it, I wore my Wisconsin sweatshirt to the game and pretended to be a Wisconsin fan.  (Those are kind of silly things one does as a college student).  It hardly mattered because Wisconsin was woeful and had no chance against MSU--the Spartans crushed the Badgers, 36-0.

Even when Wisconsin's football team improved in the 1990s under Barry Alvarez, I didn't mind seeing the Badgers succeed, and when Dick Bennett and Wisconsin made their Final Four run in 2000, I heartily rooted for them until they ran into the Spartans.  But everything changed with the two-headed monster of Bo Ryan/Bret Bielema.  These coaches have been successful, but lack class. They exude arrogance, and much, but certainly not all, of the Wisconsin fan base seem to reflect this pompous attitude.

But it's not just that: I can't stand Wisconsin's style of basketball...if it can even be called a "style".  Bo Ryan has set the game of basketball back at least 50 years.  It's a slow, walk-it-up-the-floor, jump shoot or drive-and-flop "style" of hoops that resembles something from the peach basket era.  I suppose James Naismith might appreciate it, but I despise it.

So, in conclusion, I now hate Wisconsin and they have almost reached Michigan's exulted status as most despised rival.

Heartbreak in Indianapolis

I'm not taking last night's Big Ten championship loss well.  I slept perhaps all of one hour last night tossing and turning.   There are tough losses  (Iowa 2009 comes to mind) and there are gut-wrenching, tear-your-heart-out-of-your-chest, depressing killers like last night's 42-39 loss to the Wisconsin Badgers.

I suppose the higher the stakes, the more difficult it is to accept these defeats, and it's unfamiliar territory for me and probably plenty of other Spartan football fans.  But what make this loss particularly hard to handle is the collateral damage: No Big Ten title, no Rose Bowl, and probably no BCS bowl game.  And to add further insult to injury, the second Big Ten BCS slot will probably go to our hated rivals in Ann Arbor.  Talk about kicking a dog when it's down.

But for as bad as I feel, I can't imagine how rough it must be for the MSU players and coaching staff--the ones who actually make up the team and are fully emotionally and physically bound to the program.  I truly feel for them and hope that they are able to rebound and make a strong showing in whatever bowl game they end up in.

I have to take a step back and appreciate how far this program has come in five short years.  In three of Mark Dantonio's five years as head coach, the Spartans have played for the Big Ten title and Rose Bowl on the final day of the season.  Not too shabby.

Well, life goes on--as the old cliche goes.

Michigan State 31, Northwestern 17, and Spartans all alone as Legends Division champions

There will be no sharing of the Big Ten Legends Division title.  The Spartans won it outright by defeating a pesky Northwestern Wildcats team, 31-17. 

MSU will have a rematch next week with the Wisconsin Badgers for the Big Ten title.  The Badgers crushed Penn State, 45-7 (and in the process, inexplicably left their starting quarterback Russell Wilson in the game until the very end of a blowout win--yet another reason to dislike Bret Bielema and hope that MSU clobbers the Badgers next week).

As usual, Northwestern put up a valiant effort.  I certainly won't miss seeing Dan Persa.  That elusive, gunslinging little guy has been a constant thorn in MSU's side for four years, although the Spartans have managed to beat the Wildcats in each of those years.  It certainly hasn't been easy.

Although MSU had already clinched a spot in the Big Ten championship, make no mistake: this game against Northwestern WAS important.  It assured MSU of it's 10th win (the first time that MSU has ever recorded back-to-back double-digit victory seasons), and kept the Spartans' momentum going.  If State had lost, I can just imagine the headlines ("MSU limps into Big Ten title game", "Spartans again falter on the road", etc.) as well as the inevitable belief in some circles that the Michigan Wolverines ended the season on more of an upswing than the Spartans and would be a better representative in the title game.  Trust me, I've been around here long enough to know that this would be a common refrain.

Now, of course, all of the pundits seem to believe that MSU has no chance next week.  They are starstruck by Wisconsin's win over Penn State and seem to have forgotten that Wisconsin always plays better in Camp Randall.  Also missing in some of the analysis I've heard--namely from Mark May and Lou Holtz on ESPN--is that Will Gholston didn't play in the first MSU/Wisconsin game.  Despite not having one of MSU's best defensive players, the Spartans were still able to win.

Fine, let the so-called experts think what they want to think.  I feel confident that MSU is going to lay it all on the line next week.  They are still smarting over not making it to the Rose Bowl last year, and have dedicated their season to this goal.  I am not going to go so far as to guarantee a Spartan victory next week, but the Badgers better strap their helmets on tightly.